The art of Steve Hanks is rich with symbolism and metaphor. His titles are a key to understanding the deeper message waiting to be discovered in each painting, and, often have more than one meaning. “From a Higher Level is, on one hand a relationship piece, and on the other, about the necessity of getting above the messiness of life’s daily grind. Simple but conscious acts can lift us out of the toil and finally place us on a higher ground,” Hanks says. “The piece is also about communication, and how the rider and horse converse without necessarily using words. The rider and horse can also represent the relationship between art and the ability of art to communicate beyond wordsFrom a Higher Level.”